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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: jam · charge · chair · ball · mouse · sharp · pop · bass

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. bass — the fish
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ball — a dance
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chair — to sit on
  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