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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 116 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: bear · mug · charge · cap · swing · track · stick · court

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — a lid
  4. court — of a king
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — a hat
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a path
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a cup
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. charge — a price
  23. court — for sport
  24. swing — in golf

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