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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: season · mark · row · spring · bass · rush · swing · stick

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. row — to paddle
  7. season — in sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — of water
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — a line
  13. spring — the season
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. row — a quarrel

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