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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · arm · bass · degree · coach · craft · charge · squash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pop — music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pop — to visit
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. craft — a skill
  10. degree — temperature
  11. squash — the sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — low music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — the fish
  17. degree — an amount
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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