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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — tied together
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — soda
  13. bound — obliged
  14. club — a group
  15. shower — rain
  16. tube — the underground
  17. swing — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. bound — certain
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — to visit
  23. shower — to wash
  24. tube — in a tire

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