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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: stand · squash · rush · kick · band · bass · current · jam

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. band — a music group
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — the fish
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — electric

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