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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 120 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: season · tube · mate · bass · charge · clip · bat · ruler

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. clip — a video
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — a container
  5. clip — for paper
  6. tube — the underground
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. season — of the year
  12. clip — to cut
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mate — a friend
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — for baseball

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