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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to tire

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