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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. charge — a price
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spell — a short time
  7. field — a subject
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — farmland
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. dip — to dunk

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