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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. toast — bread
  7. shower — rain
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — to play on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — humankind
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wind — moving air

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