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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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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: firm · can · arm · saw · land · bass · bat · game

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. game — a match
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. land — a country
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. firm — a company
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — ground
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bat — the animal

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