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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. track — a path
  6. chest — a box
  7. firm — a company
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — boats
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — decided
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — a skill
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — low music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chest — of your body

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