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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: dip · field · swing · bass · bore · ruler · capital · snap

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. swing — to play on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. swing — music
  6. field — a subject
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. capital — money
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. capital — a city
  19. bore — to drill
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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