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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: saw · can · deal · bass · field · stick · ball · arm

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — farmland
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — a subject
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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