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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: bear · march · bass · mug · mine · file · swing · current

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bass — the fish
  4. file — a document
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — low music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. swing — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. current — of water
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. mug — a face
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. file — a tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — to play on
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. march — 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