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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.

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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: sharp · charge · bass · kick · bulb · stock · mouse · prune

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. sharp — clever
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — shares
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. charge — in control
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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