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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to bend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rest — a break
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — a hole
  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