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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. object — a thing
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. object — an aim
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — soda
  11. bass — low music
  12. content — the amount
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. content — happy

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