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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · swing · shower · stick · staff · can · bass · object

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. object — to protest
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — an aim
  24. swing — in golf

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