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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 · mouse · board · lie · stock · current · chair · file

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a document
  3. lie — to recline
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stock — goods
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. board — a committee
  23. file — a line of people
  24. swing — music

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