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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. capital — a city

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