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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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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: stick · jam · wake · rest · club · fine · cap · bass

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — low music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for golf
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — of ice
  22. club — a group
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — a lid

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