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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · swing · can · pitcher · last · squash · bass · wake

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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 — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — a price
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. last — to go on
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  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