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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: jam · file · bass · swing · rash · pit · cabinet · bay

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. file — a tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. file — a document
  13. swing — music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — a series
  24. file — a line of people

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