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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. field — farmland
  5. charge — electricity
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. field — for sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. capital — money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. field — a subject
  20. swing — to play on
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. charge — in control
  24. rest — a break

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