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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 120 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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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: can · stick · racket · fork · tube · content · charge · bass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — the amount
  4. charge — electricity
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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