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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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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: shower · cap · swing · foot · chair · board · mate · mouse

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. shower — rain
  19. swing — to play on
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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