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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. stock — goods
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — music
  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