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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 · hand · straw · object · spell · track · pop · jam

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pop — music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a path
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — to keep track
  21. spell — magic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hand — help
  24. object — an aim

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