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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 · straw · rest · band · bass · mark · capital · foot

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mark — a grade
  6. capital — a city
  7. mark — a trace
  8. band — a music group
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rest — a break
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. capital — money
  18. band — a ring
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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