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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 · mark · saw · rash · land · vault · band

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a ring
  3. swing — to play on
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. swing — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. swing — in golf
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — a trace
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — a series
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — hasty
  24. land — to come down

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