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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 · mate · nail · band · stick · chair · season · firm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a ring
  4. chair — a leader
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a music group
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — of the year
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — steady
  21. season — in sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. chair — to sit on
  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