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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · chip · pound · arm · bass · prune · staff · charge

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chip — to eat
  15. staff — employees
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bass — low music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  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