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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 124 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — low music
  4. object — an aim
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the fish
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to sink
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. hand — in cards
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — help
  24. jam — a tight spot

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