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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: bat · key · prune · charge · mouse · swing · rock · hand

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. charge — a price
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hand — help
  21. swing — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. swing — to play on

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