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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: foot · file · clip · object · charge · bulb · game · bass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — to protest
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. clip — to cut
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. charge — in control
  8. foot — a measure
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — a video
  13. charge — electricity
  14. game — wild animals
  15. file — a document
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bass — low music
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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