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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: saw · mouse · club · bank · swing · bound · bat · squash

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. club — a group
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. swing — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — tied together
  19. club — for golf
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. bat — for baseball

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