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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — final
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pop — soda
  6. pound — a weight
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. club — for golf
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — a group
  15. last — finally
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — a price
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — to hit hard

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