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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bore — to tire
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bass — low music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — the instrument

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