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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: root · ruler · board · clip · rest · swing · tube · stick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tube — a container
  3. swing — in golf
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tube — the underground
  13. clip — to cut
  14. board — to get on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a plant
  21. clip — a video
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a flat piece

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