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

Word bank: bass · mate · kid · band · swing · court · bank · wake

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — of a king
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — the fish
  7. band — a music group
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — of a river
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kid — child
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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