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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 116 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — to eat with

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