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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — for digging
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rule — government
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rule — a law
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — goods

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