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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. branch — a division
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — the amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — happy
  24. object — to protest

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