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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bass — low music
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — soda
  9. stand — to bear
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — the cause
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pop — music
  24. spring — of water

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