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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.

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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 · wound · pop · file · season · safe · charge · club

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — to visit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pop — music
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — for dancing
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. season — of the year
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — the fish
  22. club — a group
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. file — a 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