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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: wind · rash · board · swing · safe · court · pass · band

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — in golf
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — a series
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — for sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. band — a ring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pass — a permit
  18. swing — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — out of danger

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