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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — a container
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — goods
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — a face

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