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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. suit — in cards
  4. perch — the fish
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. march — music
  12. suit — clothes
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — a partner
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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