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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. swing — to play on
  8. charge — electricity
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — happy
  18. pit — a hole
  19. file — a line of people
  20. content — the amount
  21. key — for a lock
  22. file — a tool
  23. key — in music
  24. content — videos and posts

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