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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: pop · swing · chair · bowl · craft · tube · foot · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pop — soda
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. swing — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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