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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 124 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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — a group
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pop — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — for golf
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitch — completely

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