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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: jam · track · lean · court · staff · deal · mate · scale

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. track — a song
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — a friend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lean — to bend
  14. staff — a stick
  15. court — of law
  16. deal — to handle
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. court — of a king
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — to breed
  24. court — for sport

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