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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. track — a song
  3. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. track — a path
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — of ice
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — a hat
  24. sharp — clever

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