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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 · wound · board · suit · ground · wave · pop · bass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — to fit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — a position
  6. board — to get on
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pop — soda
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a committee
  16. swing — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pop — music
  23. ground — crushed
  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