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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: race · scale · rule · wound · swing · stick · board · cue

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. board — to get on
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — size or range
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — a committee
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. swing — music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. race — humankind
  14. cue — for pool
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. race — the arms race
  19. scale — in music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — government
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  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