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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: content · last · pop · row · squash · bass · swing · safe

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — to go on
  5. content — happy
  6. swing — music
  7. row — a line
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bass — low music
  10. last — final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — the fish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — to visit
  21. content — the amount
  22. squash — the sport
  23. swing — to play on
  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