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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. club — for golf
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a document
  6. suit — to fit
  7. club — a group
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — low music
  11. track — a song
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — for catching
  14. object — to protest
  15. suit — in cards
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — clothes
  20. file — a tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — a path
  23. object — an aim
  24. temple — side of the head

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