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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spring — the season
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — electric
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a trace
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rock — music

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