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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. swing — to play on
  3. present — the time now
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — in control
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — electricity
  12. present — a gift
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — a list
  15. charge — a price
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. field — farmland
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — music

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