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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — goods
  10. net — for catching
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pop — soda
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — the earth
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bat — in an idiom

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