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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: jam · charge · rock · mine · foot · band · swing · nail

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. swing — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. swing — in golf
  8. band — a ring
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. charge — in control
  11. swing — to play on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — a price
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rock — a stone
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. foot — a measure

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