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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · fork · charge · mate · bulb · fall

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bulb — of a plant

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