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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. swing — music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — to play on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — in control
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — in golf
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — a price
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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