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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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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: pound · file · charge · tube · bulb · swing · kid · stick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — electricity
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — in golf
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kid — to tease
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. file — a tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tube — a container
  20. kid — child
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. file — a document
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — in control

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