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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. court — for sport
  24. swing — in golf

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