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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: perch · board · swing · bay · club · clip · mouse · coach

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. clip — a video
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — to get on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. perch — the fish
  15. clip — to cut
  16. club — for golf
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — a committee
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. coach — a trainer

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