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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 120 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: wake · swing · rule · pitcher · content · straw · foot · staff

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. swing — in golf
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rule — government
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rule — a law
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. content — the amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — a stick

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