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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · band · spell · file · bay · swing · court · charge

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — letters
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — a thing
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — for sport
  9. file — a tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — in control
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. swing — to play on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — in golf
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — of law
  24. swing — music

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