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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — for sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. degree — from a university
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — to get on
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. degree — an amount
  23. snap — to click
  24. leaves — lets stay

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