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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: stick · swing · board · chair · staff · arm · fan · track

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — to play on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. staff — a stick
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — a path
  24. chair — a leader

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