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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · leaves · chip · march · swing · cabinet · straw · board

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — a committee
  19. chip — to eat
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — a practice
  24. march — 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