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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: swing · bay · present · last · kid · jam · deal · fan

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — child
  10. swing — music
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — finally
  13. kid — to tease
  14. last — final
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — an agreement

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