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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. last — final
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. charge — a price
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — finally
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — for weighing

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