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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: swing · fan · board · pit · capital · stem · club · squash

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — money
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. club — for golf
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — for dancing
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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