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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — of a river
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — steady
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. charge — in control
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — the fish
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. perch — the fish
  23. last — finally
  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