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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. file — a document
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stock — goods
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bass — the instrument

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