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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: ruler · row · file · pit · hide · swing

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — a line
  3. swing — music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. file — a document
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — a hole
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. file — a tool

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