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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: dip · charge · rush · bass · clip · pound · capital · straw

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. charge — in control
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. capital — money
  9. clip — for paper
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. clip — to cut
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a city
  17. clip — a video
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — to hit hard

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