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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: jam · rock · bass · row · wave · racket · chest · perch

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bass — low music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rock — music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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