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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — the cause
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a trace
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a grade
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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