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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: fan · suit · march · swing · clip · chip · bore · rock

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. march — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rock — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — to cut
  16. swing — to play on
  17. suit — clothes
  18. clip — a video
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. swing — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to tire
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — for betting

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