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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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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: stick · pit · arm · march · object · rest · bass · row

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — music
  10. object — to protest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — a break
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — the month
  16. bass — the fish
  17. object — an aim
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pit — a hole
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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