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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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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. land — ground
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fall — the season
  24. land — a country

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