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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — to tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rule — a law
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — goods
  18. rule — government
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — the fish
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bass — the instrument

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