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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: swing · content · mine · mug · present · bank · stand · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stand — to bear
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — for digging

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