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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 · content · row · kid · swing · suit · scale · bulb

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — happy
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — to tease
  13. swing — to play on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. row — a line
  23. kid — child
  24. suit — 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