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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — low music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. sharp — clever
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. foot — a measure
  24. race — a contest

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