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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: stick · charge · current · racket · march · pass · swing · pop

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — a price
  4. swing — music
  5. current — of water
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. swing — in golf
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — music

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