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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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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: charge · bowl · chip · march · chest · swing

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. charge — a price
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chest — of your body
  6. swing — music
  7. march — the month
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — a box
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. march — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. march — the month

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