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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: bass · game · lie · charge · bulb · craft · pound · capital

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the fish
  8. capital — money
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. craft — boats
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. capital — a city
  21. bass — low music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bulb — for light

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