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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: bat · charge · club · rush · sharp · swing · current · spell

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. swing — in golf
  9. club — for golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. charge — in control
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. current — of water
  17. club — a group
  18. swing — music
  19. spell — letters
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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