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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 · squash · charge · stick · bulb · fork · court · key

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fork — in a road
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — to crush
  22. key — for a lock
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — the vegetable

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