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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — shares
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — for pool
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. dip — a sauce

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