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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: cap · charge · ball · swing · row · pitcher · court · pop

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. swing — to play on
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. row — a line
  13. court — for sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. court — of law
  21. charge — a price
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a great time
  24. court — of a king

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