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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — of a river
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cell — a phone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. capital — money
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. capital — a city
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — a big letter

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