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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cell — a phone
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — in biology
  16. row — a line
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — to paddle
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — of the year
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a signal

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