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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 · trunk · board · bass · key · arm · cold

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cold — not warm
  4. swing — music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — in music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. bass — low music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cold — an illness
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. swing — in golf
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. key — for a lock

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