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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: date · swing · rule · ruler · bound · file · cabinet · pound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — music
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — government
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bound — obliged
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — certain
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. file — a tool

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