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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — low music
  10. lean — thin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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