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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — steady
  7. object — to protest
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — the sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — a video
  13. object — a thing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — an aim
  20. squash — to crush
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the fish
  24. clip — to cut

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