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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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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: season · hand · calf · jam · mouse · bass · object · swing

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bass — low music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. object — a thing
  9. season — of the year
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. object — an aim
  15. season — in sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. calf — a young 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