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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: file · snap · chip · charge · net · pop · root · bass

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pop — music
  3. net — after costs
  4. file — a tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. pop — to visit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — in control
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — in sport
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to click
  23. file — a document
  24. bass — the fish

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