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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a committee
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — to visit
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — music
  9. pop — music
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. charge — a price
  18. land — to come down
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — in control
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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