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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pop — soda
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a dance
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. season — of the year
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — a committee
  24. charge — in control

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