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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — in control
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — low music
  7. court — for sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — the fish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — of a king
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com