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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: track · arm · pass · season · foot · rock · fine · shower

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fine — all right
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. season — in sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. season — of the year
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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