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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — a contest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — humankind
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. swing — music
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — the month
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — for betting
  23. march — music
  24. chip — to eat

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