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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: roll · straw · swing · board · net · mug · ground · charge

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a face
  6. swing — to play on
  7. board — a committee
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — after costs
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. board — to get on
  14. roll — a cake
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ground — a position
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — music
  19. net — in sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. charge — electricity
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. charge — in control

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