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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stock — goods
  3. foot — a measure
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — low music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. swing — in golf
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. swing — music

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