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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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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 · board · toast · deal · racket · kid · charge · capital

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — a price
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. charge — in control
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. swing — in golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — a committee
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. toast — bread
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kid — child
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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