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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · rest · file · swing · ball · court · pitcher · degree

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — of a king
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — for sport
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — of law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a great time
  17. swing — music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rest — a break
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — what's left

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