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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. cue — for pool
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. club — for golf

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