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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. snap — to click
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stock — shares
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — for dancing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. key — in music
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — the most important part

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