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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. object — a thing
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bass — low music
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. degree — temperature
  21. roll — a list
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. toast — bread

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