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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tube — the underground
  23. board — a committee
  24. arm — part of the body

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