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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: bank · mug · deal · bat · jam · tube · swing · hand

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tube — a container
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hand — help
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bank — for money

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