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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stock — goods
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — shares
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song

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