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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: ruler · bowl · clip · kid · swing · suit · chip · wind

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. swing — in golf
  4. clip — for paper
  5. swing — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kid — child
  12. clip — to cut
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. clip — a video
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chip — in a computer

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