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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mug — a face
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. board — to get on
  13. mug — to rob
  14. board — a committee
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bat — for baseball

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