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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rock — a stone
  4. charge — a price
  5. race — a contest
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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