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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fan · board · fine · bass · pitcher · charge · bulb · content

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — in control
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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