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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — a hat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — of ice
  9. face — to confront
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. face — to point toward
  18. swing — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cap — a lid

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