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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · game · foot · arm · rest · bass · ground · pitcher

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ground — a position
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — low music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — the earth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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