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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 120 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 was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cap — of ice
  6. current — happening now
  7. scale — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — low music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. current — of water
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — size or range
  24. current — electric

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