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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cell — in biology
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cell — a phone
  11. charge — in control
  12. press — to push
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rock — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — low music
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — help
  24. rock — a stone

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