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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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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: bowl · deal · rule · swing · bay · ball · clip · press

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a dance
  11. clip — a video
  12. press — newspapers
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. press — to push
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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