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

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — decided
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. firm — a company
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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