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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 · game · cabinet · bass · pound · ball · content · can

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bass — low music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pound — a weight
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. swing — music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a great time

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