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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stock — goods
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. firm — decided
  24. chip — to eat

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