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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: swing · stick · shower · club · perch · cold · suit · ruler

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — clothes
  3. swing — to play on
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cold — not warm
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — the fish
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — for dancing
  14. swing — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — an illness
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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