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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pop — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — a price
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kick — in football
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — employees

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