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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: fork · spell · deal · court · bass · mine · jam · firm

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — of a king
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spell — a short time
  14. court — of law
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — steady
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — for sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. spell — letters

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