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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — government
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. charge — a price
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — a grade

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