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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bass — the fish
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stock — goods
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — to paddle
  14. track — a song
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. shower — rain
  18. track — a path
  19. kick — in football
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stock — a soup base

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