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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. current — of water
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — ground
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bass — low music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fan — a supporter

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