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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.

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: leaves · swing · tube · jam · rash · game · bass · coach

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — a series
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rash — hasty
  18. swing — to play on
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — a trainer

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