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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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468
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: bowl · stick · dip · bass · swing · prune · game · date

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — low music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. prune — to trim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. swing — to play on
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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