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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: jam · clip · bound · bulb · bass · wake · charge · can

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bass — low music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bound — certain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — to cut
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — obliged
  18. clip — for paper
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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