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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: bear · swing · hand · press · court · charge · jam · rash

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — hasty
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — help
  15. press — newspapers
  16. court — for sport
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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