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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — decided
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — goods
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — in a road
  18. firm — a company

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