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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: mug · jam · stick · wound · bass · firm · cold · cabinet

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — steady
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bass — low music
  9. firm — a company
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cold — not warm
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. firm — decided
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — a face
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cold — an illness

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