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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: stick · hand · mouse · bear · swing · bass · march · jam

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. hand — help
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. march — the month
  24. jam — a tight spot

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