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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pop — to visit
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — a company
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. content — happy
  20. present — there
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — steady
  24. content — the amount

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