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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: band · rush · fine · cue · toast · file · can · swing

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. swing — music
  11. band — a ring
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rush — hurry
  14. file — a document
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. band — a music group
  20. fine — high quality
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fine — all right
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — to play on

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