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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ground — crushed
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — in control
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — for golf
  9. swing — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — the earth
  12. swing — in golf
  13. charge — a price
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — for dancing
  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