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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · bay · charge · ball · prune · dip · jam · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a music group
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a great time
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. swing — music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ball — a dance
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. charge — in control
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. charge — electricity
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a round shape

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