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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — a song
  4. land — to come down
  5. foot — a measure
  6. track — a path
  7. land — ground
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — a country
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bass — low music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. object — an aim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. object — to protest
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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