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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: date · fork · fine · charge · bass · squash · mine · swing

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. charge — electricity
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bass — low music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. squash — the sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — a price
  14. fine — all right
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mine — for digging
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — in control

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