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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: band · hand · tube · dip · firm · swing · bound · cue

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a hint
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a music group
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. band — a ring
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. firm — a company
  14. tube — the underground
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — certain
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. firm — steady
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cue — a signal

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