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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. swing — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mate — a partner
  6. current — electric
  7. face — to confront
  8. mate — to breed
  9. swing — to play on
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. charge — electricity

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