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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. scale — in music
  8. capital — a city
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. capital — money
  13. march — the month
  14. object — to protest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. date — the fruit
  17. march — music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. march — the month
  24. temple — side of the head

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