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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.

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: foot · arm · fan · pitch · ball · capital · bass · lie

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bass — low music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. capital — a city
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — money
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bass — the instrument

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