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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: scale · ball · swing · bank · rock · kick · pitcher · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — in music
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mug — a face
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. ball — a round shape

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