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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: charge · rock · cabinet · mine · bass · cue · clip · track

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. clip — a video
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — low music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a path
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. track — to keep track
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — a price
  22. cue — a signal
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — to move gently

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