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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 116 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: charge · bass · band · bulb · drill · court · fork · pound

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a ring
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — for sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. drill — the tool
  16. band — a music group
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — a practice
  19. charge — in control
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bulb — for light

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