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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: cap · saw · deal · stand · jam · charge · bass · can

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a lid
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. charge — a price
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — low music
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — the tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cap — of ice
  23. deal — to handle
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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