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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — to crush
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a hat

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