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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 116 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: swing · branch · cabinet · wake · mug · board · chair · current

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. board — a committee
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wake — before a funeral

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