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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. staff — employees
  4. object — a thing
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rash — hasty
  7. staff — a stick
  8. object — an aim
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — bread
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. object — to protest
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — all right
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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