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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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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: straw · charge · bass · pit · pound · object · wake · rest

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. object — to protest
  4. rest — a break
  5. charge — in control
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. charge — a price
  11. object — an aim
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — a thing

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