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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 116 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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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: ruler · swing · stem · spell · rule · suit · bark · game

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — a law
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — government
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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