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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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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 · date · staff · rock · drill · rule · rush · bass

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bass — low music
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rock — music
  23. rule — government
  24. bass — the fish

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