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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: clip · lean · cue · racket · bank · swing · cap · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — of a river
  6. swing — music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fine — all right
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bank — for money

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