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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: swing · tube · mark · bass · chair · band · mouse · file

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. swing — music
  2. band — a ring
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. file — a tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  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