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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bass — low music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — the earth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — a position
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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