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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. charge — in control
  5. craft — a skill
  6. row — a line
  7. charge — a price
  8. pop — to visit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. swing — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pop — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — boats
  23. mark — a trace
  24. plane — an aircraft

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