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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: charge · suit · firm · tear · press · field · bass · bulb

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bass — low music
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. press — a publisher
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — to fit
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — to rip
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — electricity
  22. firm — steady
  23. press — to push
  24. field — farmland

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