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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. object — a thing
  2. spring — of water
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. dip — to sink
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — the fish
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. object — an aim
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mark — a grade
  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