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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: stem · hand · charge · bass · tube · wound · scale · suit

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. scale — in music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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