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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · staff · race · charge · jam · swing · row · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. race — a contest
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — to be able to
  8. swing — in golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. staff — employees
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. present — a gift
  15. race — humankind
  16. staff — a stick
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — electricity
  19. row — to paddle
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. race — the arms race
  22. swing — music
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a line

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