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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. net — for catching
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — in sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. object — to protest
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. object — a thing
  21. board — a committee
  22. bat — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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