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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: rock · charge · stem · bass · jam · sharp · cap · tube

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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 — a price
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stem — to come from
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — a stone
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bass — low music
  23. cap — a lid
  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