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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: sharp · track · present · can · charge · file · bass · face

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — the time now
  3. file — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — a price
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a document
  9. face — to confront
  10. track — a song
  11. present — there
  12. track — to keep track
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — a gift
  15. face — part of the head
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a line of people
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a path
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — low music

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