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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: bass · jam · dip · band · chest · pass · lash · field

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. band — a ring
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — for sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — of your body
  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