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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: fine · saw · rash · row · swing · ball · pitcher · ruler

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a great time
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — a line
  16. ball — a dance
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — high quality
  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