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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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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 · chip · court · cue · charge · fall · arm · current

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cue — for pool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — to play on
  10. current — happening now
  11. swing — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fall — the season
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. current — electric
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chip — for betting

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