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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. key — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for golf
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — in sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bass — low music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — a group
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. arm — part of the body

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