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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: pop · kid · pit · mate · club · bass · lean · jam

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kid — child
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pop — soda
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. club — a group
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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