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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hand — help
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. swing — in golf
  16. clip — to cut
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — belonging to me

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