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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — shares
  7. bass — low music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — electric
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. leaves — lets stay

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