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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: track · land · mine · bay · bass · swing · pitcher · club

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — for dancing
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mine — for digging
  12. land — to come down
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. swing — music
  15. club — a group
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. land — a country
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a song
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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