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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. face — part of the head
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. saw — the tool

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