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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — certain
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bound — obliged
  22. row — a line
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — of a river

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