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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · bank · swing · row · ball · cue · coach · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mine — for digging
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cue — a hint
  19. swing — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ball — a dance

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