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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 116 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: mug · swing · cabinet · band · pop · chip · file · rock

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. mug — to rob
  5. file — a tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mug — a face
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chip — for betting

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