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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 120 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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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 · firm · sharp · bass · pound · cell · track · tear

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tear — to rip
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bass — the fish
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. firm — a company
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — a weight
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. firm — decided
  16. track — a song
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — low music
  20. firm — steady
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bass — the instrument

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