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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — a series
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a path
  9. swing — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — high quality

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