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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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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: chair · hand · current · pass · cap · tube · ruler · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. cap — of ice
  24. current — of water

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