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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — a stone
  7. last — finally
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — wild animals
  12. last — to go on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — final
  23. game — a match
  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