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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hand — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hand — help
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stock — goods

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