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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tube — the underground
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — a friend
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a round shape

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