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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.

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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: foot · board · bear · bass · cabinet · cue · suit · tear

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. 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 — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. suit — in cards
  11. board — a committee
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. 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