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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: craft · charge · root · wave · chair · kid · tube · bass

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — the fish
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — in control
  6. kid — to tease
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — the cause
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — child
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bass — low music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. root — of a plant

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