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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: swing · charge · deal · court · perch · stand · wax · fine

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fine — all right
  6. court — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — of law
  12. perch — the fish
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — high quality
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. court — of a king
  24. stand — to bear

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