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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: cabinet · craft · rock · swing · foot · bound · game · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. craft — boats
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rule — a law
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bound — obliged
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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