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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. club — for golf
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — to confront
  7. stock — shares
  8. rock — music
  9. band — a ring
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — part of the head
  15. club — a group
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — goods
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. craft — a skill
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rock — a stone
  23. club — for dancing
  24. suit — clothes

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