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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — a price
  13. mark — a grade
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — a contest
  16. chest — a box
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. race — humankind
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — goods
  24. charge — in control

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