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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 116 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 · mug · saw · game · fine · file · squash · bank

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a line of people
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. file — a document
  17. game — a match
  18. mug — to rob
  19. file — a tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a face

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