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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: race · snap · perch · swing · ruler · jam

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. swing — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. race — humankind
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — the arms race
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. race — a contest

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