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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. branch — a division
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stock — goods
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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