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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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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: swing · charge · scale · stick · wound · cue · rock · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — in music
  7. charge — in control
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wound — an injury

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