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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. swing — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. staff — employees
  8. field — farmland
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — electricity
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. field — a subject
  20. swing — in golf
  21. staff — a stick
  22. field — for sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. trunk — of a tree

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