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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bound — certain
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kid — child
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — completely
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. deal — to handle
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — a gift
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — there
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. present — the time now

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