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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. spring — the season
  3. bound — certain
  4. row — to paddle
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bound — obliged
  20. row — a line
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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