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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: chip · file · bay · march · fan · pound · board · swing

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. march — music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. file — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — a weight
  16. file — a line of people
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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