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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — after costs
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — in sport
  20. ground — a position
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — the fish

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