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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: swing · snap · fan · land · pitcher · staff · bass · race

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitcher — a jug

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