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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — a line
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. current — electric
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — happening now
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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