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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bay · club · game · mine · cold · current · bass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — a match
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — happening now
  14. cold — an illness
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. club — a group
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — electric
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — a measure

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