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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: rush · last · swing · charge · current · season · roll · chip

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. roll — a cake
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a list
  9. last — final
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — a price
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. current — electric
  17. season — in sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. last — to go on
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — to eat
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — to hurry

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