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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: club · swing · sharp · rule · bulb · charge · file · staff

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rule — a law
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — clever
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — in golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — in control
  17. rule — government
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — with an edge

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