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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · bass · toast · pass · chair · trunk · content · charge

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. content — the amount
  6. charge — electricity
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. content — happy
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. toast — bread

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