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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
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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: rash · firm · court · club · squash · bass · fine · charge

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — a price
  7. firm — decided
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bass — low music
  11. court — of law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. firm — a company
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. club — for golf
  23. charge — in control
  24. bass — the fish

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