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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: lie · swing · net · ruler · shower · squash · pound · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. lie — to recline
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — in sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pound — a weight
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — to crush

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