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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — a skill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. last — final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — boats
  9. game — a match
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — wild animals
  12. root — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — a weight
  15. last — finally
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — part of the body

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