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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — all right
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tube — a container
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. suit — to fit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — a price
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — in control

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