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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: stick · mouse · charge · scale · rule · swing · toast · club

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. club — for dancing
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. toast — bread
  24. rule — a 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