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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. board — to get on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — of water
  9. swing — in golf
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. race — humankind
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — to sink
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. swing — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. race — the arms race
  21. current — happening now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — to succeed

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