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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — size or range
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rock — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — an agreement

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