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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 124 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — low music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pop — to visit
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hand — in cards
  14. toast — bread
  15. pop — soda
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — help
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bass — the instrument

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