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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: bass · jam · sharp · plane · bank · bark · rash · swing

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rash — a series
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. plane — a tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — to shout
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — clever

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