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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rock — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — shares
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. club — for golf
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. club — a group
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — to move gently

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