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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. roll — a cake
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to confront
  14. track — a path
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — the instrument

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