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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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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: content · mouse · swing · fall · charge · net · chest · bank

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — in control
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — the amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — a price
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chest — a box
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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