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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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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: object · chip · bass · pass · charge · pound · stick · date

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. date — the fruit
  6. charge — in control
  7. pound — a weight
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. charge — electricity
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. object — a thing
  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