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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bass — low music
  4. rest — a break
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — shares
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — the fish
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — for light

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