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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: swing · foot · hand · charge · file · stock · rash · perch

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — help
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. swing — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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