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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — farmland
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — electricity
  7. club — for dancing
  8. field — for sport
  9. rock — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. club — a group
  14. field — a subject
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — a price
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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