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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stock — shares
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. firm — decided
  14. current — electric
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. stock — goods
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stock — a soup base

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