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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: net · march · ruler · hand · arm · patient · swing · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — for catching
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. march — the month

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