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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 116 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: cue · ball · track · charge · fine · clip · bass · branch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — a song
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — the fish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — all right
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — a video
  24. cue — for pool

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