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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 · kid · ruler · cap · staff · row · present · suit

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. present — there
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. staff — a stick
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kid — to tease
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. present — the time now
  19. cap — of ice
  20. row — a line
  21. cap — a hat
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — a gift

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