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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. shower — to wash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. fine — high quality
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. root — of a word
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fine — all right
  18. board — a committee
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bass — low music
  24. shower — rain

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