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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: dip · lash · content · craft · current · swing · charge · scale

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — of water
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. charge — a price
  8. content — the amount
  9. current — electric
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — to sink
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — in music
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — for weighing

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