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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. charge — in control
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. present — a gift
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — to confront
  19. content — the amount
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — of ice
  22. content — happy
  23. face — to point toward
  24. present — the time now

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