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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. swing — music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — to play on
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — electricity
  10. face — to confront
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. squash — the sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — in golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. jam — a tight spot

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