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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for golf
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a committee
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. club — for dancing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — to get on
  17. track — a song
  18. club — a group
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — the bottom

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