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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: bat · vault · charge · wake · mouse · bass · hand · chip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — a price
  11. bat — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — low music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — before a funeral

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