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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: game · charge · stick · swing · craft · bowl · court · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. craft — a skill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — boats
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — wild animals

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