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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 · firm · saw · chest · coach · charge · mouse · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. chest — of your body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. firm — decided
  17. chest — a box
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bass — the instrument

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