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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: stick · bank · swing · perch · club · snap · fine · shower

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. shower — rain
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — a group
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bank — of a river
  19. snap — to click
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for golf
  22. shower — to wash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — in golf

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