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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: dip · date · charge · rash · season · fork · bass · tube

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — the fruit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — a series
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — in a road
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. charge — a price

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