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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: wave · field · temple · pitcher · pass · chest · deal · jam

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. field — a subject
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chest — a box
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chest — of your body

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