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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.

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: field · arm · root · bass · season · jam · object · plane

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — for sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — the cause
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. root — of a word
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bass — the fish
  19. object — a thing
  20. root — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bass — low music

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