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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ground — a position
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. ball — a dance
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ball — a great time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — in music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — in control

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