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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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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: board · swing · row · cabinet · stand · key · spring · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. row — to paddle
  5. swing — to play on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — in music
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — to visit

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