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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
468
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 · chair · swing · pitcher · club · present · bass · staff

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. staff — employees
  5. club — a group
  6. bass — the fish
  7. present — the time now
  8. swing — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — there
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. present — a gift
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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