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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: court · bass · spring · wax · jam · swing · firm · fine

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. court — for sport
  4. spring — a coil
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bass — low music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — decided
  15. court — of a king
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. fine — high quality
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. swing — music

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