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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — the fish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitcher — a jug

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