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

Word bank: chair · jam · saw · swing · perch · band · cap · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — to play on
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. swing — in golf
  21. band — a music group
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — the tool

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