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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mark — a grade
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — in sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. suit — clothes
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — in control
  23. deal — to handle
  24. trunk — of a tree

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