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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — goods
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — shares

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