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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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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: charge · bass · pitcher · mouse · jam · firm · chip · squash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — to eat
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bass — low music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — a price
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — steady

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