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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 · cabinet · bass · chip · clip · rock · band · scale

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chip — to eat
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — low music
  13. scale — in music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. band — a ring
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a music group
  21. scale — size or range
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. clip — to cut
  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