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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a path
  10. fall — the season
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — farmland
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bass — the fish
  19. field — a subject
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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