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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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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: mate · swing · band · plane · bank · cue · fork · bat

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — to breed

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