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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: clip · press · bowl · swing · roll · tube · current · board

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. roll — a list
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — in golf
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — for paper
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. roll — a cake
  18. current — electric
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — of water
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. clip — to cut

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