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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bound — certain
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rock — music
  24. branch — a division

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