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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — a song
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to click
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hand — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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