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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: pop · board · hand · chair · swing · leaves · pit · cabinet

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. board — a committee
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hand — in cards
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pop — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hand — help

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