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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: bass · suit · club · swing · pop · racket · rock · shower

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pop — soda
  8. shower — to wash
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — to fit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — for golf
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — rain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — in cards

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