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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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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 · bass · craft · bay · club · bear · patient · kick

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kick — in football

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