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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: firm · mouse · jam · spell · bass · kid · cell · toast

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — child
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the fish
  15. firm — steady
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cell — in biology
  20. firm — a company
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — decided

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