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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 · ball · present · bass · pop · bark · drill · tube

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — to visit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — the time now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. swing — music
  9. present — there
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bass — low music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. drill — army training
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the instrument
  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