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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: straw · jam · ground · content · mug · net · bass · fan

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ground — a position
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — low music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — to rob
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ground — crushed
  24. net — in 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