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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. track — a song
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — to play on
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fine — all right
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a path
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. swing — music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — high quality

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