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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: bay · hand · arm · bass · club · bark · mark · march

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — low music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. march — music
  8. hand — help
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hand — in cards
  22. club — a group
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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