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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: trunk · rush · sharp · march · ruler · swing · bowl · roll

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. roll — a list
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rush — hurry
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. roll — a cake

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