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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 · club · rash · pitcher · face · drill · bass · rest

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rash — a series
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rest — a break
  5. bass — low music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rash — hasty
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — part of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rash — on the skin

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