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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
468
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 · chair · wave · swing · roll · firm · march · cabinet

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — decided
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — a leader
  10. firm — a company
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. current — electric
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. current — happening now
  16. roll — a list
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — of water
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — music

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