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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: squash · bark · can · march · bank · swing · cold · cue

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. can — to be able to
  7. march — the month
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. march — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — not warm
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cold — an illness

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