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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kick — in football
  16. cell — a phone
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stock — goods

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