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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: mark · calf · cell · bass · jam · bat · snap · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bass — low music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. deal — a big deal

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