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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 120 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: march · bore · season · arm · swing · rush · track · bass

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — low music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to tire
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — to keep track
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — of the year

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