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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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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: content · bank · pop · rule · board · swing · temple · wound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rule — government
  11. pop — music
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. content — the amount
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. temple — side of the head

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