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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. roll — a cake
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spring — of water
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — a hole
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pit — in a race
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — to be able to

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