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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · bank · rush · cue · squash · content · club · swing

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — to crush
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — for pool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — happy
  16. squash — the sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — the amount

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