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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: row · bass · field · foot · wake · chip · bear · mark

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. field — farmland
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. wake — a trail
  20. field — for sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — a grade

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