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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — low music
  18. nail — on a finger

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