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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
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: fall · leaves · chip · roll · mouse · charge · bass · club

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for dancing
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chip — to eat
  8. roll — a list
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — a cake
  11. club — for golf
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. charge — in control
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mouse — for 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