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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 · bat · racket · fall · mate · rule · rest · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — the season
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — a friend
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fall — to drop
  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