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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. court — of a king
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of law
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — a coil
  20. charge — a price
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spring — the season

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