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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. swing — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — letters
  22. swing — to play on
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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