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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: hand · bank · swing · content · chair · tube · suit · chest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tube — a container
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — help
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — of a river
  11. swing — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — happy
  14. chest — a box
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. swing — to play on
  24. suit — to fit

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