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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: march · bark · straw · swing · game · bass · object · safe

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. swing — to play on
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — wild animals
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — an aim
  13. march — music
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bass — low music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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