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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — shares
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — low music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pop — soda
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pop — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — to visit

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