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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. charge — in control
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — for golf
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pass — to spend time

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