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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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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: swing · rock · fan · bulb · bass · pitcher

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — 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