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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — a container
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. march — the month
  13. object — a thing
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — low music
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — a phone
  24. march — music

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