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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — for catching

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