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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: bass · ground · charge · craft · fork · firm · calf · row

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. firm — steady
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. charge — electricity
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. row — a line
  19. fork — in a road
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — a price

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