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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: racket · bass · bear · game · chest · jam · pass · deal

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chest — a box
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — a loud noise

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