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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: fall · cue · current · deal · bass · pit · straw · jam

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fall — the season
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. current — of water
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — low music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cue — a hint
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — a hole

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