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

Word bank: cabinet · perch · tube · chip · wake · board · swing · pound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — a container
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. swing — to play on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. tube — the underground
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — to hit hard

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