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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. current — electric
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. swing — in golf
  10. current — happening now
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — to play on
  14. march — music
  15. swing — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — government
  18. march — the month
  19. rule — a law
  20. current — of water
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ruler — for measuring

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