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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: pit · mate · land · swing · mouse · kick · ruler · lie

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pit — in a race
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — in football
  16. mate — a friend
  17. land — to come down
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — to recline
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — in golf
  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