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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: rash · tube · march · rock · bark · swing · bass · pitcher

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rock — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — music
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — low music
  24. march — 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