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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — in cards
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — a song
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — a company
  13. present — a gift
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — help
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. jam — in traffic

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