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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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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: chip · pass · bear · ruler · charge · cell · rash · bass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — in control
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. charge — a price
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bear — to put up with

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