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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: deal · clip · bark · charge · jam · swing · board · club

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — a group
  17. clip — a video
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — to handle
  21. swing — to play on
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. club — for golf
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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