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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: board · cell · racket · bore · last · chair · pass · swing

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — music
  4. last — to go on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a committee
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — final
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — in golf
  20. last — finally
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. racket — for tennis

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