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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: bass · dip · leaves · bear · present · charge · sharp · game

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. dip — to sink
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. present — the time now

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