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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: charge · racket · chip · cap · bass · fork · firm · toast

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — a price
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — decided
  6. toast — bread
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chip — for betting
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cap — a lid
  19. firm — a company
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bass — the instrument

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