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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. face — to point toward
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — low music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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