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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: saw · jam · arm · cabinet · deal · ground · fine · cell

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fine — high quality
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — in biology
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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