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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: pop · game · charge · plane · scale · rule · firm · bass

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — a price
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — a law
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pop — to visit
  14. firm — a company
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. firm — steady
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — in control
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. game — a match
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — soda

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