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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. object — an aim
  3. present — the time now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mark — a grade
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. object — a thing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — happy
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — low music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — there
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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