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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: swing · band · drill · cabinet · fine · pound · rock · chair

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. swing — to play on
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. band — a ring
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rock — music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fine — all right
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pound — for dogs

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