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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.

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: pop · charge · bass · chest · club · nail · fork · press

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. club — for dancing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — in a road
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — to push
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — in control
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — a price
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. club — a group
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chest — of your body

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