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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. row — a line
  7. rule — a law
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — in sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. season — of the year
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — government

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