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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stock — shares
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wind — moving air

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