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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: degree · saw · board · staff · chip · fall · swing · rush

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. swing — to play on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — the season
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a committee
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. staff — employees

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