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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: mate · deal · bass · mark · march · bulb · stand · charge

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mate — a partner
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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