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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hand — in cards
  15. net — in sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hand — help
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — happening now

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