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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mark — a trace
  4. track — a song
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. object — an aim
  10. net — in sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cell — a phone
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pit — a hole
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — for catching
  24. bass — low 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