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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: roll · row · swing · pitcher · jam · bass · field · coach

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. field — farmland
  4. swing — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a line
  8. field — a subject
  9. roll — a list
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bass — low music

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