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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: clip · last · fork · charge · bass · chip · cue · track

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — in control
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. clip — a video
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — a hint
  12. last — to go on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. last — finally
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. last — final
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cue — a signal
  21. charge — a price
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — a path
  24. chip — to eat

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