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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: bat · pass · clip · squash · charge · rule · swing · ruler

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — in control
  5. clip — a video
  6. rule — a law
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rule — government
  18. clip — for paper
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. clip — to cut
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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