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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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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: bulb · prune · land · game · bass · bear · rock · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. game — a match
  3. land — a country
  4. swing — to play on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. land — to come down
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — ground
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. swing — in golf
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — low music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. game — wild animals

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