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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
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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: club · rock · charge · bass · ball · last · lie · mug

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — finally
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — to go on
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a face
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — music
  24. club — for dancing

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