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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rock — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — in control
  8. swing — music
  9. present — there
  10. cap — of ice
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — a stone
  15. charge — a price
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — in music
  20. present — a gift
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wind — moving air

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