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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. present — the time now
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — to fit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a match
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — a price
  12. swing — in golf
  13. charge — in control
  14. present — a gift
  15. swing — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. mate — a friend
  21. march — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. present — there
  24. mate — a partner

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