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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: object · lean · deal · court · rush · swing · straw · scale

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. object — to protest
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — of a king
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of law
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. scale — in music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. object — a thing

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