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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bass — low music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a list
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — a break
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. date — the fruit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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