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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.

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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: pass · swing · wound · club · bass · cell · bank · leaves

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — low music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — 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