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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · stock · swing · tear · jam · drill

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. drill — army training
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stock — goods
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — in golf
  18. drill — a practice

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