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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: pop · bay · rule · bass · charge · date · ball · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. net — for catching
  4. bass — low music
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — government
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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