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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bass — low music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — for betting
  18. can — to be able to
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. saw — the tool

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