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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. file — a document
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stock — goods
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a dance
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to click
  17. file — a line of people
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — shares
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. file — a tool

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