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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: bank · row · band · racket · bat · nail · bear · swing

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. swing — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bat — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bank — of a river

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