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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 · cue · bark · perch · file · band · ball · bay

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — a hint
  5. band — a music group
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bark — to shout
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a great time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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