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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 120 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: hand · suit · bat · bank · tube · current · swing · rule

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — of water
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — of a river
  14. current — happening now
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. swing — music
  22. rule — government
  23. suit — in cards
  24. current — electric

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