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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · bay · track · jam · bass · foot · can · tear

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. track — a path
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the fish
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. track — a song
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — a tin
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mine — an explosive

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