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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. swing — music
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — a price
  11. spring — of water
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — there
  16. can — a tin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — the time now

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