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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: arm · race · foot · bark · present · fine · bass · fan

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — the time now
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — a contest
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — there

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