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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.

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: racket · staff · straw · band · jam · present · bass · ball

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ball — a great time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — low music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a ring
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. staff — a stick

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