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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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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: straw · current · pitch · swing · scale · rule · lean · roll

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. current — happening now
  6. swing — to play on
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rule — government
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. roll — a list
  21. swing — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. scale — for weighing

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