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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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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. club — a group
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — for money
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. club — for dancing
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. swing — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bank — for money

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