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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — in cards
  3. game — wild animals
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pop — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a match
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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