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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stock — shares

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