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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — for digging
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — money
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — a city

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