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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. roll — a list
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. charge — a price
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — a box
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in biology

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