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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: date · bulb · bank · bound · rock · racket · swing · hand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. rock — music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. date — the fruit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  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