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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — a skill
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. charge — in control
  16. pop — to visit
  17. charge — electricity
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. craft — boats
  20. pop — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. swing — to play on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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