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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — a position
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. charge — a price
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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