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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. club — for golf
  6. face — part of the head
  7. object — a thing
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mark — a grade
  10. object — an aim
  11. bass — low music
  12. face — to confront
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — to pay attention

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