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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: bank · arm · bore · game · kid · cabinet · foot · bass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a match
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bass — the fish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bank — for money

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