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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: lash · cue · mug · scale · band · board · tube · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mug — to rob
  4. board — to get on
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — a cup
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — a face
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — a committee
  24. scale — in music

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