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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — to go on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — for catching
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — a soup base

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