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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: game · cap · bulb · charge · wave · bass · field · track

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bass — low music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — for sport
  10. track — a path
  11. charge — electricity
  12. field — farmland
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — a price
  18. game — a match
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — a subject
  22. bass — the fish
  23. game — a kind of play
  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