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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — a group
  7. season — in sport
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. firm — steady
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. foot — a measure
  16. club — for golf
  17. hand — help
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a dance
  21. club — for dancing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. foot — the bottom
  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