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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. net — for catching
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. staff — a stick
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — a company
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — in sport
  24. staff — employees

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