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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: foot · fork · race · swing · scale · squash · pop · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pop — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — humankind
  7. swing — music
  8. charge — electricity
  9. swing — to play on
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — a contest
  16. fork — in a road
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. swing — in golf
  21. foot — a measure
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. scale — for weighing
  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