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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 120 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: fork · charge · bass · prune · band · dip · cap · foot

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — in control
  12. band — a ring
  13. bass — the fish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. dip — to sink
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. band — a music group
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — to trim

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