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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 116 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: bass · prune · staff · content · band · drill · charge · sharp

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. staff — a stick
  4. charge — a price
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — low music
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the fish
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — the amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — happy
  24. staff — employees

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