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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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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: swing · tube · band · file · cabinet · ball · branch · squash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. squash — the sport
  3. band — a music group
  4. branch — a division
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. file — a document
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. file — a line of people
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. band — a ring
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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