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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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