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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 · present · rule · cabinet · swing · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — to play on
  11. present — the time now
  12. rule — a law
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — to paddle
  15. present — there
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out

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