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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 · bank · rest · bowl · rule · track

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. rule — government
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — a law

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