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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: rash · roll · ground · board · swing · mine · mouse · charge

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — for digging
  6. swing — music
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — electricity
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ground — a position
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ground — crushed
  23. charge — in control
  24. mouse — the animal

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