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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — in cards
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — a break
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — low music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a song
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the fish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — to keep track

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