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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
468
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: leaves · charge · bass · straw · fork · pit · date · land

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — the fish
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. land — a country
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. land — ground
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — to come down
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — in control

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