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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — clothes
  3. march — the month
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — in control
  9. march — music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. suit — to fit
  13. charge — a price
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. swing — to play on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — a phone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the 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