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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — army training
  12. club — a group
  13. charge — in control
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — to breed
  18. charge — a price
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — for dancing

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