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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: saw · charge · bass · jam · hand · swing · stand · stick

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. swing — music
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — in control
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — a price
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — to bear
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stand — for spectators

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