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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: board · stick · pop · cell · charge · bass · mine · vault

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — in control
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. board — to get on

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