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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 · march · bank · perch · swing · chest · can · game

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. game — wild animals
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. swing — in golf
  10. march — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — a box
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. game — a match
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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