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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · deal · pitcher · clip · jam · arm · rule · mug

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. clip — a video
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mug — a face
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rule — government
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bass — the fish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mug — a cup
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — to rob

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