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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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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: bat · band · nail · swing · pit · jam · safe · firm

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pit — a hole
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. swing — to play on
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. band — a music group
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. band — a rubber band

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