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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stock — shares
  5. row — to paddle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. dip — to sink
  9. net — for catching
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — in sport
  18. date — the fruit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. row — a quarrel

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