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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — an agreement

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