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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.

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: cell · deal · trunk · roll · charge · bass · toast · game

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. roll — a list
  6. charge — in control
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. deal — to handle
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. roll — a cake
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — wild animals
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cell — in a prison

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