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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · can · wound · scale · rule · mine · row

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — a law
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — government
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. swing — music
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — size or range
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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