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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. roll — a list
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. track — a song
  7. perch — the fish
  8. object — a thing
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — an aim
  20. roll — a cake
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. swing — music

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