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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. court — of law
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — of a king
  8. bass — low music
  9. band — a ring
  10. firm — steady
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. firm — decided
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — a company
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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