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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bass — low music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bass — the fish

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