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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. tube — the underground
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. net — in sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mate — to breed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ball — a great time
  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