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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — to tire
  7. swing — to play on
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mug — a face
  11. pop — to visit
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — in control
  16. pop — music
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — a price
  22. bore — to drill
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — a cup

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