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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · club · saw · mine · rest · content · swing · tube

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rest — a break
  3. club — for golf
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — happy
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — a group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mug — a face
  20. content — the amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. swing — to play on

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