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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: pop · hand · bark · net · swing · firm · cue · file

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. firm — decided
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. net — after costs
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — a signal
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — soda
  18. file — a tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. net — for catching

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