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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: chair · nail · ruler · prune · mouse · swing · fine · game

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — a match
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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