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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — low music
  9. file — a document
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — part of the body

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