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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — to bear
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. swing — in golf
  14. march — music
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — a tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — for betting
  24. saw — the tool

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