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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 · rush · dip · cue · pass · court · season · band

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. swing — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. court — of a king
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — a permit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — for pool
  14. court — of law
  15. season — of the year
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a music group
  24. swing — in golf

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