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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · board · key · chair · stem · cap · swing · march

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a committee
  3. swing — music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cap — of ice
  6. march — the month
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cap — a hat
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — to come from
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. march — music
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — the month

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