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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. clip — to cut
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stock — shares
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. current — happening now
  11. clip — for paper
  12. current — electric
  13. club — for golf
  14. net — after costs
  15. clip — a video
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. net — for catching
  23. branch — a division
  24. bass — low music

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