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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pound — a weight
  9. march — the month
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to sink
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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