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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: swing · racket · hide · march · jam · charge · court · clip

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. swing — to play on
  3. march — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — in golf
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. court — of a king
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. court — for sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — a price
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. clip — a video

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