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

Word bank: stick · fine · swing · wound · rule · present

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rule — a law
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. present — there
  10. fine — all right
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. present — the time now
  18. wound — an injury

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