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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: hand · fan · cap · bass · staff · foot · content · bark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cap — a lid
  10. content — happy
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — low music
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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