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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: chip · charge · band · wake · jam · firm · mug · bass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bass — low music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chip — for betting
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bass — the fish
  8. firm — a company
  9. mug — a face
  10. chip — to eat
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — steady
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. firm — decided
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. band — a ring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chip — in a computer

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