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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of law
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of a king
  22. mate — to breed
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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