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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: track · march · cell · ruler · fan · ball · rush · swing

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rush — hurry
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. swing — to play on
  16. track — a path
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. march — music
  24. cell — in biology

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