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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 120 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: foot · snap · leaves · track · bowl · mate · bass · bay

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mate — a partner
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — a measure
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. track — a song
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a path
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — a dish

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