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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: fine · current · file · swing · coach · court · track · charge

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. swing — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of law
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a path
  7. current — of water
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — in control
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — in golf
  16. court — of a king
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. court — for sport
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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