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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: lie · swing · bark · rule · stick · bowl · clip · court

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — of a king
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — in golf
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — a video
  17. court — for sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — a law
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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