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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. firm — a company
  2. land — to come down
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — to paddle
  10. firm — steady
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. firm — decided
  14. mate — a partner
  15. land — a country
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bass — the instrument

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