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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. last — finally
  8. track — a song
  9. last — final
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — a list
  14. pop — to visit
  15. object — to protest
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — a cake
  20. last — to go on
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a path
  24. wave — of the sea

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