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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bass — low music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. foot — a measure

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