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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · charge · mouse · content · bear · racket · spring · coach

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. content — the amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — the season
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. spring — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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