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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. court — of law
  13. chest — a box
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. swing — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — of your body

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