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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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 — in golf
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mark — a trace
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — a city
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — money
  16. roll — a list
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bass — low music
  23. pass — to spend time
  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