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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: rule · swing · rock · tear · present · jam

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tear — to rip
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rock — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. present — the time now
  9. swing — to play on
  10. present — there
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. swing — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rule — government
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — a gift

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