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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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468
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: squash · jam · cabinet · straw · foot · swing · bank · coach

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bank — of a river
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. squash — to crush
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. squash — the sport

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