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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: sharp · pop · game · swing · jam · charge · mark · drill

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. drill — a practice
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — army training
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pop — music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mark — a trace
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. drill — the tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. game — wild animals
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — in control

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