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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. kid — child
  2. suit — to fit
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — the amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. band — a ring
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. bank — for money
  19. content — happy
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  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