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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — a measure
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. current — of water
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. branch — a division
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. current — electric
  24. pitch — a sports field

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