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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. ball — a round shape
  3. bass — the fish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — crushed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to confront
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. capital — a city
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — part of the head
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ground — the earth
  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