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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 · jam · pop · kick · track · leaves · arm · ground

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. track — a path
  6. ground — the earth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ground — a position
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — a part of something

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