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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bass — low music
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stock — goods
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — boats
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — a skill
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — for betting
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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