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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — for golf
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — a price
  7. club — a group
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — in a computer

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