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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chair — a leader
  10. object — a thing
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — to protest
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — to rip

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