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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. charge — in control
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — to visit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chip — to eat
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — in sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kick — in football
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — a price

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