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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · bulb · squash · field · bass · mug · branch · fan

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. bass — low music
  8. field — farmland
  9. branch — a division
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — a subject
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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