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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: club · rock · ruler · swing · lie · present

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. present — a gift
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. club — for dancing
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — a group
  8. rock — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. present — there
  11. swing — in golf
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — a stone

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