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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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468
Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. root — of a plant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. root — of a word
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. content — happy
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. content — the amount
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. content — videos and posts

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