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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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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 · pop · row · rock · bass · club · calf · wind

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rock — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. pop — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — to play on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bass — low music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — soda

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