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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a path
  3. staff — employees
  4. bound — tied together
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — the season
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — a stick
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spring — of water
  22. bound — certain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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