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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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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: rock · foot · bass · jam · pit · band · chair · bear

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bass — low music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pit — in a race
  24. band — a music group

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