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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 · band · race · swing · bowl · root · hand · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — a contest
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — the cause
  17. race — humankind
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. root — of a plant
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — the arms race
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — in cards

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