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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. present — there
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — the time now
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a professorship

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