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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — a price
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. charge — in control
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. court — of law
  15. pit — in a race
  16. object — an aim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — of a king

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