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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — low music
  4. game — a match
  5. bass — the fish
  6. season — of the year
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — shares
  11. season — in sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stock — goods
  16. bound — certain
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — wild animals
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wound — an injury
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bound — tied together

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