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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · bass · scale · saw · stick · land · jam · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. land — ground
  6. scale — in music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. land — a country
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rock — music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. land — to come down
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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