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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hand — help
  3. land — to come down
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. land — ground
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — a country
  12. bass — low music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. craft — boats
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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