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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tube — the underground
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — electricity
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — in music

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