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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chest — a box
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. file — a document
  19. bass — low music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. file — a tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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