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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — a path
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. bass — the fish
  11. band — a ring
  12. bass — low music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. net — for catching
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stock — goods
  21. band — a music group
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stock — shares
  24. bore — gave birth

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