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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: firm · track · arm · foot · pitcher · leaves · bay · snap

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a song
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. track — a path
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to click
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — to keep track

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