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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — a container
  3. staff — a stick
  4. season — of the year
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — low music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — goods
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. season — to add flavour

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