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

Word bank: deal · jam · cabinet · rock · content · present · firm · tear

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. firm — steady
  3. present — the time now
  4. firm — decided
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — a stone
  10. firm — a company
  11. present — there
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. content — happy
  15. rock — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tear — to rip
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tear — from crying
  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