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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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468
Word bank
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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. swing — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the fish

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