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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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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: board · charge · racket · bulb · game · swing · rash · hand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. swing — music
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hand — help
  10. swing — to play on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — in cards
  17. game — a match
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — for light

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