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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
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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: jam · band · bear · bass · can · court

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — low music
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. court — of law
  11. bass — the fish
  12. band — a music group
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. court — for sport

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