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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: march · club · bank · cue · jam · wound · swing · bulb

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — the month
  9. club — for golf
  10. swing — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a hint
  16. club — a group
  17. cue — for pool
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. swing — in golf
  20. march — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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