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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fine — high quality
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bass — the fish
  5. last — finally
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. last — to go on
  8. net — after costs
  9. charge — a price
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. last — final
  21. fine — all right
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — for catching
  24. board — a flat piece

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