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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hand — in cards
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — happy
  12. rash — a series
  13. hand — help
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — the amount
  22. present — there
  23. rash — hasty
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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