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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rock — a stone
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. charge — in control
  9. rock — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. degree — temperature
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — to be able to
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — all right
  16. degree — an amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — electricity
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — to recline

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