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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mate — to breed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bass — low music
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — what's left

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