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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 · ruler · deal · land · current · bowl · root · snap

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to click
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. root — of a plant
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — of a word
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. current — happening now
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — to handle
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bowl — a football final

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