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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. charge — a price
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — electricity
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cold — an illness
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — not warm

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