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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. can — a tin
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. can — to be able to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — after costs
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. stock — goods
  13. hand — help
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. toast — bread
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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