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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — a container
  8. band — a ring
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bass — low music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bat — the animal

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