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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bass — low music
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — a division
  22. bat — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. nail — on a finger

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