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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: bass · bay · row · plane · tear · swing · pitcher · deal

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. row — a line
  4. bass — low music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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