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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: bass · hand · foot · snap · charge · chair · tube · cue

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. charge — in control
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chair — a leader
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — low music
  15. hand — help
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. tube — the underground
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the fish

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