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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. present — the time now
  3. track — a path
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — a face
  6. charge — electricity
  7. swing — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — a gift
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — in a road
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — a price
  21. present — there
  22. track — a song
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — in control

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