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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: wake · charge · stock · last · pitcher · arm · chair · swing

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. swing — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — a price
  7. stock — shares
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stock — goods
  10. charge — electricity
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — finally
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. swing — in golf

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