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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 · kick · bass · court · pass · mug · board · can

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. board — to get on
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mug — a face
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — a price
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. mug — a cup
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. court — of law
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — in football

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