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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pop — music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bound — certain
  13. pop — soda
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — obliged

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