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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: board · bass · ground · charge · squash · suit · fan · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — a position
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — in control
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ground — crushed
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. charge — a price
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — low music
  20. charge — electricity
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ground — the earth
  24. board — a flat piece

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