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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stock — goods
  3. face — part of the head
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. swing — to play on
  9. face — to confront
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. swing — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stock — shares
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to tire
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bore — to drill

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