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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 120 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: game · ruler · rock · swing · suit · pitch · clip · band

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. suit — to fit
  6. swing — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — a stone
  18. clip — for paper
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. swing — to play on
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. clip — a video
  24. band — a ring

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