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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. game — wild animals
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — goods
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. swing — music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stock — shares
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chair — a leader

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