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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 120 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: bass · pop · nail · lie · charge · fork · tube · scale

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. scale — in music
  18. pop — soda
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lie — to recline

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