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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a document
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a match
  12. kick — in football
  13. board — to get on
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. board — a committee
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. march — the month

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