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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: can · deal · racket · march · land · bass · foot · lean

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. foot — a measure
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — the bottom

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