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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wound — an injury
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — clever
  16. dip — to sink
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rest — a break

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