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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. track — a path
  8. charge — in control
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — of water
  15. toast — bread
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. current — happening now
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. track — a song

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