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

Word bank: rock · club · swing · foot · bass · nail

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — a stone
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. swing — music
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — low music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — the instrument

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