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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: charge · chair · bass · capital · bore · bulb · jam · sharp

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — a leader
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bass — low music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. capital — a city
  21. charge — in control
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. charge — electricity
  24. sharp — exactly

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