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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.

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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: saw · drill · charge · mark · land · stand · bass · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. land — ground
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. land — to come down
  20. charge — a price
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. saw — the tool

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