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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — there
  8. game — wild animals
  9. present — a gift
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — a hat
  12. content — happy
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mug — a cup
  18. game — a match
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — the amount
  22. cap — of ice
  23. present — the time now
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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