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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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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: spell · bowl · kid · ruler · band · swing · hand · row

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — music
  9. kid — child
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — letters
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. band — a music group
  18. swing — to play on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kid — to tease
  21. row — a line
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — help

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