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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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — completely
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — to crush
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — soda

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