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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. press — a publisher
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — a price
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a dance
  18. swing — in golf
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a round shape

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