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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pit — a hole
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. swing — in golf
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a lid
  22. snap — to click
  23. charge — a price
  24. swing — to play on

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