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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · rock · march · content · drill · ruler

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. march — the month
  6. content — happy
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training

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