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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: squash · pass · field · current · lash · fan · bass · swing

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — of water
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — music
  12. field — for sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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