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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rock — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — happy
  7. date — the fruit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. swing — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. suit — clothes
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — the amount

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