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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — low music
  5. march — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. march — the month
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — boats
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. march — the month
  22. foot — a measure
  23. season — in sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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