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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: cue · band · pass · swing · rush · bank · bound · race

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a hint
  3. band — a music group
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bound — obliged
  11. band — a ring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bound — certain
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bound — tied together
  22. swing — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — to play on

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