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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. pop — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — a price
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — soda
  15. bass — the fish
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stock — shares
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wake — a trail
  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