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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: fan · swing · band · foot · bowl · bat · staff · bass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. band — a ring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. swing — 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