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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. drill — the tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. season — in sport
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — a practice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — to add flavour

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