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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. last — to go on
  4. swing — to play on
  5. roll — a list
  6. last — final
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hand — help
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — finally
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. coach — a trainer

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