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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — an amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fine — all right
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fine — high quality

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