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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — a thing
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — low music
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — a trace
  15. craft — a skill
  16. object — an aim
  17. craft — boats
  18. fall — the season
  19. mark — a grade
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fall — to drop

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