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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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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: rock · wave · fine · swing · mark · bat · hand · march

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. march — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. bat — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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