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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — shares
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. staff — a stick
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stock — goods
  24. chair — to sit on

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