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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. band — a music group
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. charge — a price
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. firm — a company
  13. band — a ring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. land — a country
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. swing — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. firm — decided
  24. band — a rubber band

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