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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. craft — boats
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. swing — to play on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. swing — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. roll — a list
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a skill

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