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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stock — shares
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to click

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