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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — in sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — of the year
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wax — to grow

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