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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. court — of law
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — certain
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. court — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the fish

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