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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: club · bank · wave · content · bay · bass · rest · jam

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — low music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — for golf
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. content — the amount
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bank — for money

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