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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: fork · fan · jam · band · chip · swing · rule · cabinet

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — a law
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — in a road
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rule — government
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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