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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a ring
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. can — a tin

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