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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: current · board · saw · swing · shower · kid · cap · bank

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — of water
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — to play on
  12. kid — child
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bank — for money
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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