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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — in sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. charge — in control
  8. drill — army training
  9. net — after costs
  10. bass — the fish
  11. drill — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — a series
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — low music
  24. stock — shares

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