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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. roll — a list
  24. jam — in traffic

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