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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — to confront
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hand — in cards
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — help
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. object — a thing
  16. stock — goods
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. charge — in control
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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