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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 · can · chest · row · rash · club · swing · nail

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rash — hasty
  14. row — a line
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a 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