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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to click
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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