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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. toast — bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. degree — from a university
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — an amount
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — a match
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bound — certain
  24. can — a tin

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