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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: rest · rash · bark · scale · date · swing · pop · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rest — a break
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. scale — in music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — a series
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. scale — size or range
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rash — hasty

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