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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 120 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: game · stand · arm · swing · charge · spring · content · drill

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. drill — army training
  4. swing — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. charge — in control
  10. swing — in golf
  11. drill — a practice
  12. game — a match
  13. spring — a coil
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — of water
  21. game — wild animals
  22. drill — the tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. content — happy

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