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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bass — the fish
  3. clip — for paper
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stock — shares
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bass — low music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bore — to tire
  15. firm — decided
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — the most important part
  19. firm — a company
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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