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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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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: swing · rock · ruler · row · squash · chair · kid · stand

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chair — a leader
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. row — a line
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — child
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. row — a quarrel

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