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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · mate · straw · fork · fine · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — a measure

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