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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: chair · mouse · swing · cabinet · band · jam · bass · file

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. file — a document
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. file — a tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — a leader
  24. swing — in golf

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