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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: firm · nail · bore · bat · band · bank · rock · swing

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. band — a music group
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bore — to drill
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. band — a ring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — decided
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. firm — a company
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. firm — steady
  20. rock — a stone
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  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