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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: chair · charge · pitcher · bulb · swing · kid · net · ball

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. net — in sport
  4. kid — child
  5. net — for catching
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — after costs
  14. swing — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — to tease

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