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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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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: charge · chair · ruler · march · swing · ball · patient · wind

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. march — music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — a price
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. swing — to play on
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — moving air

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