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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 120 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: bowl · cue · spring · swing · rush · band · rule · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — hurry
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — all right
  24. swing — music

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