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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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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: arm · bass · fan · key · leaves · bound · deal · perch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bass — low music
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — in music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bound — obliged

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