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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: swing · kid · band · ruler · squash · deal

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. band — a music group
  7. swing — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. swing — in golf
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. swing — to play on

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