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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: roll · chest · cap · jam · fine · net · bear · deal

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — after costs
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. net — in sport
  15. roll — a list
  16. deal — to handle
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — a lid
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bear — the animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chest — a box

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