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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 · ruler · stock · present · march · bowl

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stock — goods
  8. swing — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a football final

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