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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: jam · spell · bank · swing · chair · date · bass · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — magic
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bank — of a river
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spell — letters
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spell — a short time
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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