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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — low music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stock — shares
  17. pass — a permit
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — decided
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a kind of play

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